Applications to Case Studies

This chapter offers the application of the “behavioural-based” approachBehavioural based approach for Slow Onset Disasters (SLODs) assessment and mitigation strategies testing, as proposed by the current work. Two different case studies are used to this end, referring to public squares in historical urban scenarios, and by unfolding the health risk posed by heat stress and air pollution distress derived from the generated micro-climate within a single open space in the urban Built Environment (BE). The first case study is a representative typological public open space, based on the analysis of real-world squares in the Italian historical cities. Being an archetype of public open spaces, the application provide general insights on SLODs risks and on the capabilities of mitigation strategies, which can refer to a variety of real-world scenarios sharing the same main features. The second case study is a real-world square in a historical city in Italy, to better understand how general insights can be tailored in comparison to the peculiarities of a given scenario. In both cases, the application follows the proposed process concerning data collection (about SLODs features and related hazard conditions, BE vulnerability, users’ exposure and individual vulnerability), simulation scenario definition, simulation-based assessment of pre-retrofit (current) risk levels and simulation-based evaluation of mitigation strategies effectiveness. Indicators such as occupancy probability, thermal perception stress levels, and air quality distress are mapped to determine local hot spots within the studied scenarios. Then, key performance indicators are estimated on SLOD-affected-health potential in the open spaces and on their individual vulnerabilities. The method is expected to enhance the municipalities capacity of resilience towards climate change, by accelerating risk assessments, mitigation strategies planning and execution.